The
Lost Dollar by Stephen Leacock
Author
Introduction: Stephen Leacock (1869–1944)
- A famous Canadian humorist,
essayist, and professor of political economy.
- Known for his light, humorous,
and satirical style of writing.
- Major works include Literary
Lapses, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, and Arcadian
Adventures with the Idle Rich.
- His humor often reflects human
weaknesses, irony, and social absurdities.
📝 Summary of
“The Lost Dollar”
“The Lost
Dollar” is a short humorous essay in which the narrator tells a simple
but amusing story about a lost one-dollar loan that he gave to a friend,
Todd, who forgot to repay it.
- The narrator lent one dollar
to his friend Todd, a man from Hamilton, Bermuda, when they
were together in New York.
- Todd promised to return the
dollar the next day but forgot.
- The narrator remembers it
vividly, but Todd seems completely unaware of his “debt.”
- Over time, the unpaid dollar
becomes a symbol of how small debts or unfulfilled promises can stick
in one’s mind.
- The narrator humorously
imagines that when people die, their lost dollars will be returned
in some sort of “Financial Judgment Day.”
- He even lists historical
figures (like Napoleon, Shakespeare, and Lincoln) who might also have
“lost dollars,” making the story both funny and universal.
Ultimately, the
essay is not about money, but about human forgetfulness, social courtesy,
and the little things that annoy us but are too trivial to mention.
🌍 Setting
- The incident takes place mainly
in New York, where the narrator lends Todd a dollar.
- There are references to Hamilton,
Bermuda (Todd’s hometown).
- The setting extends humorously
to an imaginary afterlife, where all lost dollars are accounted
for.
💡 Themes
- Human
Forgetfulness and Triviality
- Todd
forgets a small loan, showing how people overlook minor obligations.
- Memory and
Obsession
- The
narrator cannot forget the dollar, highlighting how small things can
occupy our minds disproportionately.
- Social
Courtesy and Decorum
- The
narrator doesn’t remind Todd out of politeness—showing the conflict
between honesty and etiquette.
- Humor and
Irony of Everyday Life
- Leacock
humorously exaggerates a trivial event to expose universal human
behavior.
- Moral
Reflection
- The
“Financial Judgment Day” joke shows a humorous form of moral balance—that
even small debts might one day be repaid.
🧠 Detailed
Analysis
- The story is told in first-person
narration, creating a personal, conversational tone.
- Leacock uses understatement,
hyperbole, and gentle irony.
- Example: He turns a trivial
dollar into a moral and philosophical issue, making it both funny
and relatable.
- The humor arises from:
- The contrast
between the small amount and the narrator’s big reaction.
- The imagination
of “Financial Judgment Day.”
- The mock-serious
tone that treats a petty loss as a tragedy.
🗣️ Important
Quotations
- “He owes
me a dollar. I wish he would send it.”
→ Shows the narrator’s lingering frustration over a trivial matter. - “It is not
the money I care about, it is the principle of the thing.”
→ Satirical comment on how people exaggerate moral principles over tiny issues. - “I always
think of him now as the man who owes me a dollar.”
→ Shows how small incidents can permanently color our opinions of others.
📖 Style and Tone
- Humorous
and ironic
- Conversational – as if
the narrator is talking directly to the reader.
- Philosophical
undertone beneath simple humor.
- Leacock’s wit exposes
the pettiness of human nature gently, not cruelly.
📚 Vocabulary /
Word Meanings
|
Word |
Meaning |
|
Trivial |
Of little
importance or value |
|
Obligation |
A debt or
duty owed to someone |
|
Philosophical |
Calmly
reflective about life |
|
Irony |
Expression of
meaning through contrast or humor |
|
Courtesy |
Polite
behavior or gesture |
|
Judgment Day |
A biblical
term humorously used for a day of financial reckoning |
🗺️ Important
Places
|
Place |
Description / Importance |
|
New York |
The main
setting of the story. It is where the narrator and Todd meet, and where the
narrator lends Todd one dollar. The humorous incident begins here. |
|
Hamilton,
Bermuda |
Todd’s
hometown. After leaving New York, he returns to Hamilton and forgets to repay
the dollar. The narrator often thinks of him as “Todd of Hamilton, Bermuda.” |
|
Imaginary
‘Financial Judgment Day’ |
A symbolic
and humorous setting imagined by the narrator — a day when all lost or
forgotten dollars will be repaid and all debts settled in the afterlife. This
adds humor and moral irony to the story. |
👥 Important
Characters
|
Character |
Description / Role |
|
The Narrator |
The main
character who lent Todd one dollar. He represents ordinary people who
remember small debts and take trivial matters too seriously. His tone is
humorous and reflective. |
|
Todd |
The
narrator’s friend from Hamilton, Bermuda. He borrows a dollar in New York and
forgets to return it. Todd symbolizes human forgetfulness and casual attitude
toward small obligations. |
|
Famous
Historical Figures (mentioned humorously) |
The narrator
imagines that even great men like Napoleon, Shakespeare, and Abraham
Lincoln might have “lost dollars.” This exaggeration adds humor and
universality to the essay. |
✅ Summary of
Importance:
- The real places (New York
and Bermuda) make the situation believable.
- The imaginary place
(Financial Judgment Day) gives it a humorous, moral twist.
- The two main characters
(Narrator and Todd) represent ordinary human behavior — one remembers a
small debt, the other forgets it.
🧾 I.
Short-Answer Questions
1. Who
wrote “The Lost Dollar”?
Answer: Stephen
Leacock, a Canadian humorist and essayist, wrote “The Lost Dollar.”
2. Who
are the main characters in the story?
Answer: The two
main characters are the Narrator (who lends the dollar)
and Todd
(who borrows and forgets to repay it).
3. Where
does the story take place?
Answer: The
main incident takes place in New York, and Hamilton,
Bermuda is also mentioned as Todd’s hometown.
4. What
did Todd borrow from the narrator?
Answer: Todd
borrowed one dollar from the narrator.
5. Why
did the narrator not remind Todd about the dollar?
Answer: The
narrator felt it would be impolite and undignified to
remind Todd about such a small amount.
6. What
does the narrator mean by “Financial Judgment Day”?
Answer: It is a
humorous,
imaginary day when all forgotten debts and lost dollars will be
settled — a moral balancing day for everyone.
7. What
is the tone of the story?
Answer: The
tone is light, humorous, and ironic,
with a touch of moral reflection.
8. What
does the story teach us?
Answer: It
teaches us not to take trivial matters too seriously
and to laugh at small annoyances in life.
🧭 II.
Long-Answer / Paragraph-Type Questions
1. What
is the central theme of “The Lost Dollar”?
Answer:
The main theme is human forgetfulness and the tendency to
exaggerate small issues. Through the incident of a lost dollar,
Stephen Leacock humorously shows how people remember minor debts and treat them
as moral principles. The narrator’s inability to forget the dollar reflects our
own human weakness — we hold on to trivial matters instead of letting them go.
2.
Describe the character of Todd.
Answer:
Todd is a friendly but forgetful man from
Hamilton, Bermuda. He borrows a dollar from the narrator in New York but
forgets to return it. He represents ordinary people who are casual about small
obligations. Though his forgetfulness causes no real harm, it reveals human
carelessness and contrasts with the narrator’s over-sensitivity.
3. Give
a character sketch of the narrator.
Answer:
The narrator is sensitive, polite, humorous, and slightly
obsessive. He remembers the dollar Todd owes him but is too
well-mannered to ask for it. His exaggerated concern over a trivial loss makes
the story funny and relatable. Through the narrator, Leacock shows how human
pride and memory can magnify small matters into great issues.
4.
Explain the humor and irony in the story.
Answer:
The humor arises from exaggeration, irony, and mock seriousness.
The narrator treats the loss of one dollar as a major life event. The irony is
that such a trivial amount occupies so much of his thought. The imaginary
“Financial Judgment Day” adds more humor, turning a petty event into a moral
comedy.
5. How
does Leacock use the incident of a lost dollar to express a universal truth?
Answer:
Leacock uses the lost dollar as a symbol of all the small grievances and
forgotten favors that exist in human relationships. Everyone
has experienced lending or losing something trivial and then remembering it for
years. Thus, the story becomes universal, humorous, and morally reflective —
teaching us to laugh at ourselves.
6. What
lesson does the narrator (and the reader) learn from the story?
Answer:
The story teaches that it is better to forgive and forget small matters
rather than let them disturb our peace. Humor helps us accept human weakness —
forgetfulness, pride, and trivial obsessions — with a smile instead of
irritation.
💡 III.
Value-Based / Critical-Thinking Questions
1. What
makes “The Lost Dollar” a humorous essay?
Answer:
The essay is humorous because Leacock uses simple language, exaggerated seriousness, and
irony to make an everyday situation amusing. He laughs at
himself while revealing human weakness, making readers both think and smile.
2. Do
you think the narrator’s feelings are justified? Why or why not?
Answer:
Partly yes — it’s natural to remember even small debts. But Leacock’s humor
shows that the narrator’s overreaction is unnecessary. The story gently mocks
this human tendency to turn minor irritations into moral issues.
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